Chapters

• Bobby - Jack
• Josie – Immanuel
• Lily – Luke
• Vasya – Adam
• Realtin – Aine
• Timmy – James B
• Brian – Ciro
• Trevor – Alison L
• Bridie – Alison M
• Jason – Gayle
• Hillary – Gillian
• Seanie – Seanie
• Kate – Caoimhghin
• Lloyd – Ellen
• Rory – Peter
• Millicent – Eidean
• Denis – Rhys
• Mags – Niamh
• Jim – James P
• Frank – Chad
• Triona – Siobhan

Each chapter summary contains:

• Brief description of chapter
• Describe the character
• How is the character affected by society/recession
• What can we say about their relationships/family
• What do they say about Bobby?

 

 

1 - Bobby
Brief description of chapter
In this chapter we learn that Bobby and his father did not get on very well (“I go there every day to see is he dead and every day he lets me down”). He says that he wants to kill his father but he doesn’t because he thinks that he will die soon anyway. This suggests a bad relationship with his father growing up. We also learn that Bobby is married to Triona and has a child called Robert. Bobby and his mother were given a very hard time by his father. They were constantly being verbally abused by Frank. Because of his close relationship with his mother Bobby was very upset when she died (“he came walking up the road looking like a small child, as pale as a ghost, with his eyes hollowed out from crying”).
Describe  the  character
Bobby is quite self-deprecating in this chapte r(“Triona lets on she doesn’t blame me for being taken for a fool”). But as we read other people’s perspective we learn that Bobby is actually a very kind and helpful person. His wife Triona describes him as a selfless person and he puts people’s needs before his own.
How is the character affected by society?
He was put out of work when the recession hit and him along with the rest of the men he worked with were not able to sign on because Pokey Burke never paid their stamps. Also when he started doing work for Realtin everyone spread rumours about him cheating on his wife with her. Bobby was also accused for murdering his father even though he was innocent. This has made Bobby feel like he wasn’t a good person.
What can we say about their relationship/family?
Bobby does not have good memories with his father from when he was young (“I thought about killing my father all day yesterday”). Frank was constantly abusing Bobby and his mother. Bobby hasn’t got a good relationship with his father. But we learn that he loved his mother very much and was heartbroken when she died. Bobby is married to a woman called Triona who he loves very much. But in his chapter Bobby says that he does not think he is good enough for Triona. Triona shows her trust for Bobby when she does not believe that Booby would ever cheat on her with another woman.

What do other characters say about Bobby?
Nearly all of the characters in this novel have something to say about Bobby. And they all have mostly good things to say. Some characters like Jason describe how Bobby tries to give them work doing insulation. And we learn that Josie even prefers Bobby over his own son and he describes how much like his other son he is. But most of the characters say how helpful and nice Bobby is to them and that they wish there was more people like him. (“he got all his mothers goodness”) (“I was always so glad was foreman after pokey took over”)

How do people in ‘The Spinning Heart’ suffer?
Bobby suffers for numerous different reasons:
He had a bad relationship with his father Frank. Bobby grew up constantly being verbally abused by his father and he had to watch his mother being abused by frank as well. This abuse has affected Bobby in his life because he wants to kill his father and he thinks he isn’t good enough for Triona.
Bobby also suffers from death. From reading Lilly’s chapter we see that Bobby was greatly affected by his mother’s death. The death of Bobby’s mother worsened the relationship between Frank and Bobby.
Bobby suffers from the recession because he lost his job and then found out that his boss pokey never paid anyone’s stamps which meant that he could get money back from the government. Because of the recession and losing his job he can no longer fulfill the role of a man to provide for his family.

 

2 - Josie
In this chapter, Bobby comes to Josie's house to find out we're Pokey is as Pokey owes Bobby and the other builders money.  Josie snaps at Bobby but later feels bad. He wishes he went down to Bobby and shook Bobby's hand because he respects Bobby and thinks he is a good man.
When Bobby is taken into custody for supposedly killing his father, it's Josie who pays Bobby's bail.
Josie is the father of Pokey Burke. He feels that he is a bad father because he loves his son Eamonn more than he loves Pokey and his daughter Mags. He tells us how he tried to treat Eamonn and Pokey equally but no matter how hard he tried Pokey was always able to notice that extra pat on the head Eamonn got or an extra squeeze on the leg. Josie even let Eamonn name Pokey when he was born. Josie feels that it's his fault that Pokey turned out the way he is. Josie set him up for life by giving him the building business and if he hadn’t given Pokey that authority, Pokey would not have been able to con Bobby Mahon and all the other builders that worked for Pokey. Josie's mind is conflicted; he feels that he is a bad father for loving one son more than his other children. This also causes problems for his other children. Mags, for example is really upset that her father doesn’t accept her for who she is. She just wants him to love her like he did when she was young.  “I love my first son more than my second son.”
Josie now has to deal with the problems Pokey has created. People that previously worked for Pokey come looking for their money and Josie can’t do anything to help them. Josie also feels responsible for the kidnapping of Realtin’s son, Dylan. He feels that if he had not have given Pokey the business, Pokey would never have built the ghost estate, Realtin would never have bought the house therefore she would not have been left alone and then Dylan would not have been kidnapped. This guilt also puts a mental strain on Josie.
Chapter 18- Mags: “Dad is taking it awfully hard”

 

3 - Lily
Brief description of character
Lily is the towns local “wanton”. Even from the start of the chapter we see how the community affects Lily as they are all so curious. “A nosy bitch of a midwife asked me who the father was”, this shows us the importance of gossip for some people in society. We find out in the chapter that Lily is the women that Josie Burke tried to have sexual relations with when he was blind drunk, but Lily couldn’t do it as he knew how nice of a man he was, “I knew he was stone cracked about his wife”. Lily’s children don’t visit her at all as they are all “ashamed” of her. Lily is also in an abusive on off relationship with a “fat mongrel of a man” called Bernie McDermott.
Describe character
Lily is a misunderstood woman, who only did what she did to survive and provide for her family.
How is the character affected by society?
Lily is affected severely by society as everyone in town treats her very poorly except for a certain few individuals, as even her own children hate her because of how everyone in town sees here. It really shows that everyone in societies never really made an opinion for themselves as they all judge Lily without getting to know her, they are all prejudice.
What can we say about their relationships/family?
Lily has a very bad relationship with her family as she doesn’t really talk to any of her children, but she tries her best to still do anything she can to help them, “I leave that money there especially for him”. The relationship she has with her boyfriend Bernie McDermott isn’t good at all as he is very abusive and beats her senseless, “He said nothing, only punched me straight into my face”. Overall Lily doesn’t really have any good relationships with anyone in the book apart from Bobby.
What do they say about Bobby?
We find out that Bobby and his mother were really the only two in the town that actually gave Lily the time of day, “she used to give me the time of day, not like a lot more around here who had themselves elevated in their own minds”, Lily also seems to be very fond of Bobby as she really respects him and maybe fancies him a bit?  “He’s beautiful, that boy, tall and fair head”. Lily also seems to dislike Frank, the same as Bobby as he’s a “Horrible yoke”.

Theme of suffering
In the book Lily is affected and suffers a lot by destructive relationships such as her abusive boyfriends Bernie McDermott who beats Lily for saying she is pregnant with is child. Even when the local guard notices her bruises he doesn’t help which effects Lily as Bernie could continue to beat her. Also Lily suffers emotionally as her own children don’t want anything to do with her, she even pays for one of their collage fees and he wouldn’t let her go to his graduation.

 

 

4 - Vasya
Chapter description
In this chapter we meet Vasya a man that has moved to Ireland to work. Vasya ended up working for Pokey Burke and on the building site as an undocumented worker he is known as "The Russian". He enjoys the banter between the Irish builders on the site and occasionally joins in. He also mentions Bobby and says "the foreman’s voice is soft and contradicts his appearance". He also tells us about his father’s herds back in his home and we find out the reason why he and his brother travelled south. After gathering confidence in his new workplace the boss said "you goatherds aren’t bad" his brother misheard what he said and took it as an insult. He struck the man on the face and then started a big fight between the workers; the two of them were left bruised and beaten. The day after, his brother was found dead after he left the house early and started drinking. It was after this he reached Ireland.
Character description
Vasya is an observational, hardworking and clever man that seems down to earth. I think he is seen by many as a family man as he speaks for quite a bit about his family in his home country, we learn they are living a hard life in the harsh climate with their cattle. He is also very descriptive when we read parts where he is describing the area around his land in his home. Vasya doesn’t talk very much when working on the building site mainly because his English isn’t that great but despite the language difficulties he understands what the Irish mean using expressions like "I’ll sort you out later" in this way Vasya seems very intelligent.
How Vasya is affected by society
Vasya is affected by society with many things the main issue is how the men treat him "the Russian" on the building site at work. He says about Shawnee shaper, "I don’t think he was being unkind" when Shawnee slapped him on the back he seems intimidated by the Irish men as he is seen as an outsider by the people living and working where he has moved to. Also he was used by pokey for work that Vasya knows he’ll never be paid for.
Vasya’s relationship with his family
In the "Spinning Heart" Vasya had a good relationship with his family in his homeland Khakassia. He and his brother travelled abroad for work, it seemed they both had a good relationship with each other before his brother died from getting beat while drunk. When he travels to Ireland he wonders what it will be like when his family find out what had happened to his brother.

 

5 -  Réaltín

• Réaltίn is a young, immature, single, fun loving mother. She comes across self-centred and can't see past her own nose. At the same time she is concerned for her father, Tom, since her mother died. She isn't fond of her father's new partner, calling her “Bridget the Midget”. She lives in a big housing estate with her son, Dylan. Her son's father, Seanie Shanahan is still around and often comes to visit.

• “The only men in my life are my father and Dylan”
• “Bridget the bloodsucker was mooning about the edges of our lives”

 

• Realtίn lives in a large ghost estate that was built by Pokey Burke during the “Boom” years. When looking at the house in the auctioneers, they were lied to when told that all the houses were. nearly sold. Her father drove like a madman trying to pay the deposit for this ‘lovely new house’, which they were also told had to be paid that day.

• “Just ghosts of people who never existed”
• “The builder was gone bust”    

   

• Réaltín comes across as a floozy and I think that's the impression the whole town have of her later in the story when rumours start circulating about her supposed affair with Bobby Mahon. Bobby, after being ‘shafted’ from his job, goes around fixing and finishing jobs and houses that Pokey failed to complete, one house of which is Réaltín’s. Réaltín immediately takes a liking to Bobby and so the rumours start circulating around the community, though later we find out that they are just rumours and nothing about it is true.

• Hillary is Réaltín’s friend. She also describes Réaltín as being self centred and immature

• “She’s going to have to cop herself on”

When talking about Réaltín’s rumoured affair, she confirms that they are just rumours.

• “As far as i can make out he’s not even made a ghost of a move on her”

 

• Réaltín has a good relationship with her father, though the recession is taking its toll on it, along with Toms new partner “Bridget the Midget”, who Réaltín absolutely detests.
• She was particularly and more obviously affected by the recession than any other character. Her house was bought in a hurry at the beginning of the recession, turning out to be a ghost estate, leaving Réaltín lonely and desperate.   

 

 

6 - Timmy

We are introduced to Timmy in the 6th chapter of Donal Ryan’s acclaimed novel, The Spinning Heart.
From reading Timmy's chapter we gain knowledge about Timmy's personality and his life. From relationships with friends and family, to negative past experiences regarding his learning difficulty, and also how the economic downturn has affected him.

• Compared to other characters in the novel Timmy exhibits an almost childlike mentality, which makes him unique, since he is the only adult character in the novel to have one. Timmy can be deemed as quite observant to the world around him, often curiously, noticing small things that are usually missed by others.
• Timmy also comes across as innocent. In the chapter Timmy recalls a moment in time were his fellow construction worker "Seanie Shaper" kept showing him "pictures" of "naked women", and in this particular situation all Timmy could do was smile "down at them" because he did not know what he "was meant to say or do"
• It can be plausible to suggest that Timmy is too trusting of people. This has unfortunately made him a laughing stock to most of his co-workers, since he is usually "sent all over the town for joke messages".

 

Timmy faces many troubles in his personal life, from his turbulent relationship with his father who "never says anything" to him, to the tragic death of his baby nephew, and not to mention the predicament between Timmy and his brother "Peadar" concerning "Nanas" cottage.

 

 

7 - Brian
In this chapter Brian talks about how he wants to immigrate to Australia for many of the same reasons a lot of young people, reasons like work, money, women etc. However from this chapter we get the sense there is also more to it than that for Brian because it seems that he isn’t completely happy with his life.
Brian sound like an intelligent person but at the same time is slightly immature from reading this chapter Brian seems to be in his early twenties. At the end if this chapter you discover that Brian wants to be bobby and can’t be himself which is part of the reason he wants to leave. He also thinks too logically and finds emotions not necessary
The recession hasn’t effected this character as much as others this partly because he is young but you see that it has affected him is some way because he is immigrating to Australia for work.
Brains relationship with his family isn’t that good because his father and mother are against him going to Australia. “Love is a physical mechanism that ensures humanity’s survival”
Brian admires bobby and want to be him, he thinks bobby is a proper man and thinks things come easy to people like him. “He’s not the brightest star in the firmament, but he is a proper man”
The theme of suffering
Brains relationship with his father isn’t a good one because his father doesn’t what him to go to Australia. His father doesn’t acknowledge the fact that he is going to Australia and acts like if he ignores it that it won’t happen. He is suffering because of the recession and he is going to Australia for work.  He destroys the relationship with his girlfriend by going to Australia .

 

8 - Trevor
Trevor is a troubled individual. He is an over thinker and imagines killing his mother Dorothy and Bobby. He fanaticizes about ‘saving’ Realtin and Dylan.
Trevor is an undiagnosed schizophrenic who fantasizes about ‘saving’ Realtin’s son. He also imagines killing Dorothy and his mother because he believes that they are creatures and are set out to do him harm. He is also quite paranoid as he thinks his whole body is “riddled with tumors” and sees images that are not possible to see.
Trevor lives at home with his mother who caters for his every     need and she is terrified that he has schizophrenia just like   Trevor’s father. He imagines that his mother is a creature who must be killed and he thinks that he is the only one who can stop them as only he can see them.
Trevor does a lot of odd jobs for his mother’s friend Dorothy who lives on the same street as Realtin and Dylan. When Trevor is at Dorothy’s, he can watch Dylan and wants to take him away from Realtin. Dorothy treats Trevor as a houseboy, shouting at him for not doing things right which leads to Trevor imagining her death.
Trevor also has a friend called Lloyd, who works in the local crèche. Trevor plans to kidnap Dylan with Lloyd. Trevor thinks that his mother and Dorothy are creatures and he “wants to kill them and tell everyone that they were about to sacrifice the child”.
Trevor is a recluse in society. No one suspects that he is schizophrenic or paranoid but he doesn’t have a lot of close relationships with people in the community. His only friend is Lloyd and Lloyd is the only person he seems to trust. He imagines that his mother and Dorothy are creatures and wants to kill them. Trevor is not affected much by recession but he is subject to stereotypes put upon him by members of the community.
Trevor suffers in this novel due to his mental illness. He doesn’t want to be like his father was and he refuses to be tested for it. He is scared to find out what the results may be, therefore causing him to suffer.
Trevor also causes a lot of suffering in this novel. When he kidnaps Dylan, he causes a tremendous amount of suffering to Realtin and Seanie. They are distraught over their son and worried sick about where he is. Trevor is the main cause of their suffering.

9 - Bridie

Bridie’s son Peter was killed when he was swept off a rock and drowned while fishing with his uncle Jim and his brothers nearly twenty years ago.  He is always on her mind. She swore she would never step foot in County Clare again after he died. She still has a lot of anger about his death and never truly accepted the fact he is dead.
Her relationship with her husband was destroyed after Peter died. He blamed Bridie for Peter dying until they finally separated. She had no money after her husband left. He stopped giving her money for their children as soon as the youngest left home. Her constant anger drove all her family away. They were always huddled together and whispering when she was around. She never truly forgave her brother or sons for letting Peter get swept off the rock.
Bridie used to work in the Town End Hotel in Thurles. She was let go when her job was given to a “skinny little young wan”. She takes her anger about her son’s death on everybody including the local priest. She can’t stand to be around people as it only makes her angry. However, she does feel guilty for taking her anger out on everyone and for letting “one child take my whole heart” because it isn’t fair on anyone.
Bridie is a hard worker. I think she works so much as a distraction from thinking about Peter’s death. She has become short tempered and judgmental ever since Peter died. She used to encourage people and forgive easily but not anymore. She isn’t interested in the local gossip like all the “coven of aul bitches”.
Bridie calls Bobby a “lovely boy”.  She thinks there is a “fierce sadness” about him when you’re talking to him. She doesn’t believe that Bobby has cheated on Triona with Realtin. She felt bad for Bobby after his mother died and he wasn’t talking to his father. “The world and his wife knew those two had a big falling out”. Bobby is grateful for Bridie. “Bobby wouldn’t even take a few bob for himself off me”. She took him and his mother in one night when Frank was on a rampage, destroying their house.

 

 

 

The theme of suffering:
Death- Bridie lost her son Peter when he was just a child. She finds it hard to accept the fact he is gone because his body was never found. I don’t think she has found any closure from the situation which is why she finds it so hard to deal with. The lack of closure has left her easily annoyed and very judgmental.
Destruction of relationships- Bridie’s anger has destroyed all her relationships with her family. She blamed her brother and her sons for letting Peter get swept off the rock. However, her husband blamed her for letting Peter go off in the first place. Everyone felt awkward around her and felt like they couldn’t talk. Her family used to talk in hushed voices around her. She took all her anger out on them until there was nobody left.

 

10 - Jason  
Jason is a troubled person.He has witnessed a shooting which has left him with various problems including PDST and bipolar disorder.He was also sexually abused as a young child but he has tried to get on with his life.His face is covered in tattoos which he resents now because he is very self conscious about how people perceive him.He has a child with a woman whose only life ambition was to live off of social welfare.He is angry about the fact that he doesn’t get to see his son as often as he would like to.
Jason hasn’t really been effected by the recession because he doesn’t possess any  desire to work .He is being hassled by the dole office to find work but he manages to get out of actual employment by using his many disorders and issues as an excuse. Jason is an outsider in the community because of his tattoos.He also doesn’t want to get involved in local issues again since he saw someone get shot by a ‘mad auld culchie’.
Jason doesn’t really have any proper relationship with anyone.He isn’t close to the community and he is even denied a proper relationship with his son.
Jason is a very self conscious person who is stuck in the system.He isn’t very cynical despite the fact that he has had a lot of trauma in his life.He is a honest person and has no reservations whatsoever about telling life as he sees it is.He also  doesn’t hold back on his opinion of characters like Frank. ’I’d say he did his head in.’
Jason believes  he saw Bobby jump over a wall the night Frank was killed.He says he wouldn’t testify in court or be bothered to go to the guards against Bobby because its none of his business and overall he thinks Bobby is a ‘sound skin’.Once,under orders from the social welfare,Jason reluctantly  had to seek out work.Bobby offered him employment but Jason promptly went over to Bobby’s house to decline the job in person.Jason’s father drove him to Bobby’s with a dodgey wheel.Bobby rooted out a new wheel for the car and replaced the bad tyre without any cause or invitation.
‘Your man Bobby done that turn for fellas that was as good as strangers to him and looked for nothing back’

 

The Theme Of Suffering
Although Jason suffers greatly with mental issues (bipolar,PTSD,etc.) he shows a degree of perseverance.He doesn’t dwell on the fact that he was a victim of sexual abuse as a child.He doesn’t feel any great anger at his abuser,he is more angry at himself.In this way he hasn’t held any grudges but has carried his problems with him which have still had a substantial effect on him as he feels quite useless compared to other people in the community who have achieved something,like Bobby.
Jason also suffers at the hands of the community because he has tattoos covering his face.He is extremely self conscious about his unusual appearance purely because he is aware of how the community perceive him as dangerous because of his tattoos,when in reality they really have nothing to worry about.In this way Jason is pushed to the peripheral of the community.
Jason is also another victim to the destruction of realtionships.He is denied a real relationship with his son which he resents.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11 - Hillary

Hillary is Realtin’s best friend, though she loves her best friend very much, she is very resentful towards her. Realtin seems unsatisfied with her current situation and wants more from her life. She hates her job, her boss and sometimes, she hates Realtin,
Hillary seems to be a very realistic character, especially for the time that “The Spinning Heart” was set in. It seems not out of the ordinary for everyone to be fed up with their routine life and for everyone to hate their job and their boss. Hillary comes across as slightly jealous of Realtin and this may be because of their appearance.  In Seanie’s chapter, he describes Realtin as “shiny, dazzling, full of that scary confidence that some of them townie women have.”, but when he is talking about Hillary he says, “Your wan Hillary looked like a browny-grey blob beside her.”
The recession seems to have had an effect on Realtin. On account of her being one of the youngest in the office and the last in, her boss told her that she would have to take a massive pay cut and she had to argue about equality legislation and discrimination when Realtin was “just grudgingly supporting her errant friend out of loyalty,”. George also had to get rid of the cleaner to save money and expects Hillary to start hoovering. The solictiors where Hillary is employed has also suffered from the recession. “The legal aid rates went down and George stopped being so available.”
Apart from all  the stress that her friendship with Realtin causes her, Hillary is facing a lot of pressure from her family. As she says at the end of the chapter, her mother has a mystery illness that no doctor is able to diagnose. Hillary voices her frustration at how one sided her friendship with Realtin is when she says “If I started saying something like God, I’m exhausted actually, mam is still really sick and I had to go home and make dad’s dinner-” “-her eyes would literally glaze over and she’d just say oh, aaaaww, and tut noncommittally a few times in mock sympathy,”. She also says that her mother was really sick last year but she wasn’t allowed to talk about it because Realtin’s mother is dead. Hillary seems to be taking on a lot of work both in the solictiors, trying to keep her friendship with Realtin alive and trying to keep her family apart.
Hillary has never actually met Bobby, but she knows quite a lot about him, she is the only character, apart from Realtin and Bobby, that knows nothing happened between them. She calls him “Bobby the murdering builder” and tells Realtin that’s “he’s not Braveheart” and that she is not Braveheart’s girlfriend.

 

Theme of Suffering

The Recession-
Hillary suffered just like every other character in “The Spinning Heart’ from the recession. When George told Hillary and Realtin that they would have to take a massive pay cut because of the falloff in conveyancing, Hilary had to argue their rights in equality legislation about discrimination on the grounds of age. She had to do this for both herself and Realtin as they were going to suffer majorly. Now she has to clean the office because he sacked the cleaner and she gets forty euros less a week than she used to get.

Destruction of relationships-
From reading Hillary’s chapter, any reader can tell that her relationship with Realtin seems very strained. While they are best friends, Realtin does not treat Hillary very well. She left Hillary to deal with George on her behalf when he treated them badly in work, she only talks about her and has no interest in Hillary’s life. This upsets Hillary so much that she spends thw whole chapter giving out about Realtin. She seems to be quite jealous and resentful towards Realtin, who never has to clean up the mess she makes. She seems annoyed and almost jealous that Realtin slept with their boss.
“George leeches all over everyone, well, all the young ones anyway, and no one gives it a second thought, but Realtin has to take it to the next level and actually shag him.”

 

12 - Seanie

1.Chapter summary.
In this chapter Seanie tells us about his relationship with Realtin and how he feels about it. We learn a lot more about Seanie and realize that he is not the person he comes across as being. We are told that Seanie is angry at Bobby because he thinks Bobby is having an affair with Realtin.
2.Character Description.
Seanie tell us how he has always loved girls since he was a young lad. He got the name Seanie ‘Shaper’ because he is vain. From the descriptions we get off other characters about Seanie he come across as being a ‘Jack the lad,’ but we realize in this chapter Seanie is sad and somewhat depressed. Seanie never shows this side of himself though and always has to act like the ‘Seanie Shaper’ everyone knows.
3.How is the character affected by society?
To society, Seanie has to put an act on. He doesn’t show his true self until he’s alone and has to pretend to be the Seanie ‘Shaper’ that everyone thinks he is. Seanie’s reason for depression is mainly based on his love life with Realtin, his relationship with Dylan and the recession. If it isn’t bad enough already that Seanie is barely let see his son, Dylan, the recession makes Seanie feel even worse about the situation. He believes he’s no use to Dylan. He says “I’m no good to him, though. What good am I?”
4.What can we say about their relationships/family?
Realtin & Dylan - After Seanie met Realtin, he fell in love with her. She used him to have a child and then blanked him out. Seanie still tries to make things right with Realtin and get the relationship he would like with Dylan, but Realtin doesn’t even let Seanie see Dylan. Seanie’s depression is mostly because of his bad relationship with Realtin and Dylan.
What do they say about Bobby?
Bobby- Seanie is angry at Bobby in this chapter. He believes Bobby is having an affair with Realtin, even though we know this is just rumours.

THEME OF SUFFERING
In general, how do people suffer in “The Spinning Heart”?

• Recession, jobs, financial: Seanie suffers with the recession since he Pokey shafted him. He has no job and this leads him to believe he”s no good to his son Dylan and can’t provide for Dylan or Realtin.
• Mentally: Seanie suffers with depression. He doesn’t have the relationship he wants with Realtin or his son, Dylan. This makes him feel useless and unlike the ‘Seanie Shaper’ he usually is. He doesn’t show his true depression around anyone but himself.
• Destruction of relationships: Because of the rumours about Bobby having an affair with Realtin, Seanie is angry at Bobby. He believes the rumours that the community have been talking about and this affects the relationship between him and Bobby.
• Not fulfilling society’s role: Not only does Seanie feel useless not fulfillinf the role of man with Realtin, he also isn’t being the man society thinks he is. To society he is ‘Seanie Shaper’ and a real ‘Jack the lad,’ but deep down he isn’t. He is depressed and not fulfilling the role everyone thinks he is.

 

 

 

 

13 - Kate
Brief description of chapter
This is the thirteenth chapter in the book. In this chapter we find out that Dell has closed down and Kate has been let go. Her husband is in the building trade and cannot find any work but cannot receive the dole either as he was self-employed. Kate owns the Montessori and she has just employed Trevor who we find out later kidnapped Dylan from the Montessori. Business was booming until Dylan was kidnapped and then it closed down. She seems to be having trouble with Nuala, one of the girls working in the Montessori.
Describe the character
Kate is slightly psychopathic (“I pointed at them and they caught fire”). She is a very hard-working person (“I made up a load of flyers on the PC and went to every single door in every single estate on this side of town”) and is blunt in the way she speaks and thinks (“But I only told him to shut up and mind his own business”).
How is the character affected by society?
The character is affected by the recession as Dell closed where she was working and she got let go. Luckily, though, the Montessori picked up until Dylan got abducted by Trevor. Also, her and her husband’s marriage seen to be in a bad place because he cannot get any work and is always grumpy and in a bad mood. Kate says she has to be very careful around Denis these days “I have to pick my steps around him these days”.
What can we say about their relationships/family?
Denis is her husband, as previously stated, and they don’t seem to have a good relationship with him right now because of the recession. She thinks that he is “some worker” but also thinks he is a bit “repulsive”.  Nothing is really mentioned about her immediate family or anyone else for that matter.
What do they say about Bobby?
Nothing is said about Bobby in this chapter.

The theme of suffering
Many people in the novel have very bad relationships with their fathers. Bobby is a prime example. He goes to his father’s house every day to “see if he is dead”. This is because of all the abuse Frank gave Bobby and his mother for years and years and eventually Bobby's mother died. Ironically enough, Frank also suffered because he had a bad relationship with his father and was also mentally and physically abused. But maybe this is why he abuses Bobby? Another example of this is the relationship that Mags has with her father.
People also suffer because of the recession in the novel, which shows how realistic the novel is. Kate suffers from the recession as she gets let go when Dell closes down. She then opens a Montessori until that closes down because a child gets kidnapped. Kate also suffers because her relationship is being destroyed by the recession. This is because her husband is a builder and is not getting any work. He thinks that he is not fulfilling society’s and therefore is very grumpy all the time and this is having a bad effect on his and Kates relationship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14 - Lloyd

Description of the chapter
Lloyd is Trevor’s friend who is involved in the kidnapping of Dylan, Réaltín’s son. Trevor seems to be the mastermind behind the plan but Lloyd has no problem helping him in the abduction. It appears that Lloyd does not want to harm Dylan in the last paragraph of the chapter, he describes him as “kind of cute” and tries to keep him entertained. We also get an insight into Lloyds solipsistic state of mind.    

Description of the character
Lloyd is a troubled character, undoubtedly mentally unstable. He dreams about killing Dylan which frustrates him because as he puts it it’s something his “inner warrior” wants to do. He talks about how his “warrior” is “bound by the strictures of this false reality”. This isn’t the talk of a sane person.
   Lloyd is also a solipsist, he believes that he is the only thing that matters and that the world literally revolves around him. “I am alone in the universe; the universe is created by me and for me and nothing exists outside of my consciousness”

How is the character affected by society/recession?
Lloyd is unemployed, he blames that on the state of the economy at the time. He says he can’t help the economy but this totally contradicts his solipsistic mindset, as his friend Trevor points out, because Lloyd believes he created everything, including the economy.

 

What can we say about their relationships/family?
Being a solipsist, he believes that everyone including his mother and best friend Trevor are his “creations”.  Lloyd doesn’t seem to have a good relationship with his mother, when she calls to his house he says he “let her in this time” suggesting he doesn’t welcome her visit. His mother is worried about him and frets when she sees his bong, as he describes the look on her “stupid face” and he says he enjoyed himself “as her initial comfort turned to pain”. It is clear there is no love there.  Lloyd's father left him as a child for another and life he now has “another kid with another woman”. This could account for his disregard towards his mother as he possibly sees it as her fault.
      
How does your character suffer?
Relationships with fathers:
 As a child, Lloyd was abandoned by his father, he was led to believe that he was gone to do “important work for the government” but in reality he just walked out and had a child with another woman. It is clear that this had an effect on Lloyd when he found out as he says he started grinding his teeth that night and continued to do so for years until finally he “ground through to a nerve” and passed out with the pain.

Recession, jobs, financial:
The recession hasn’t affected Lloyd as much as it has the other characters in the book as he doesn’t have a job, probably due to his mental state.

Mentally:
We are not told exactly if Lloyd has a diagnosed mental condition but from his actions and words we believe he does. He helps in the kidnapping of Dylan without much concern for his actions, and also his description of his solipsistic lifestyle is very strange and far from sane.

 

 

 

15 - Rory
In this chapter we see a man in his late twenty’s who is forced to immigrate to Australia because he can’t find work in Ireland and he suffers from low self-esteem.
Rory is an over thinker and has a low self-esteem, we see this when an attractive girl gives him his number and asks him to go to a party with her and he overthinks it and doesn’t end up going because he thinks he doesn’t have enough money and is scared of what her friends will think of him, he also wants to be like Bobby Mahon because he wants to have his imagination.
Rory is affected by the reccesion because he has to emmigrate to Australia because he can’t find work in Ireland anymore beacause of the loss in jobs caused by the reccesion.
Rory is in a difficult relationship with his family because he cannot find work and has little money and is afraid to ask his father for a loan because he doesn’t want them to think bad of him
Rory says that Bobby would never cheat on Triona with another woman and that if “Angelina Jolie” came up to him he would turn her down because he is very loyal to her and is like a “priest”. He also wants to be like Bobby because even though there is a recession Bobby is able to find work and he says that he wants to have Bobby’s “imagination”. He also thinks Bobby must have killed his father because he must have had enough of him

• “By the end of the night I nearly hated Bobby”.
• “But Bobby, though, if Angelina Jolie have him the come-on he’d leave her hanging”.
• “He’s like a priest, so he is. Well a priest that is married to a flaker”.
• ”Bobby must have finally had enough of his Shit”.
• “I wish I had an imagination, and more balls. Bobby is well able to think out all that stuff about going out on his own with the insulation and go off to talk to fellas about it and give in Business plans”. 

Rory suffers mentally because he has very low self esteem, he gets asked out by an attractive woman and doesn’t go because he is afraid of what her friends and she will think of him if he is unable to pay for drinks. He is also afraid of what his father will think of him if he asks him for money

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16 - Millicent

• Brief description of chapter: This chapter is from a child’s point of view. Millicent is the daughter of Hughie and granddaughter of Lily. Millicent’s parents argue a lot and Millicent’s behavior is affected by this because she swears a lot and cries for no reason. “I get really sad and I start crying before I know I’m going to.” Millicent’s mother derides her out of work father who was affected by the recession.

• Description of the character: Millicent is young so she repeats the words she hears her parents say. She cries a lot and doesn’t know why some times. Millicent is different around her father because he lets her do more than what her mother does. Millicent doesn’t want to tell her parents that she is scared after Dylan is kidnapped because she doesn’t want them to fight. “I don’t want to be calling Mammy or Daddy though because they might have a fight”.

 

• How is the character affected by society/recession: Millicent is affected by society because of Dylan being kidnapped; she is scared of the “child snatcher monster”.  She is also affected by the recession because her father is out of work so her mother fights with him a lot because he doesn’t bring in any money. “Mammy told daddy I was a better earner than him because I bring in a hundred and fifty euros a month”. The fighting affects Millicent because it makes her upset and she ends up using the bad language her parents are using.

• What can we say about their relationships/family: Millicent’s parents don’t have a great relationship because of their constant arguing. Millicent seems to be closer with her father. Millicent’s father is different around her mother and seems to be happier when he’s just with Millicent. “Daddy in the mirror is always smiling when mammy isn’t with us”. Millicent’s grandmother is Lily who is the local prostitute, but Lily has only ever seen Millicent once because Lily and Hughie don’t have a relationship.

 

 

THEME OF SUFFERING

In general, how do people suffer in ‘The Spinning Heart’?

• Recession: Millicent’s parents fight a lot because her father is out of work and can’t bring money into the house and the only money coming in is from the few hours her mother gets from working at Tesco and the one hundred and fifty euros coming in every month for Millicent.

 

• Destructions of relationships: Millicent’s parent’s relationship has been affected and this causes Millicent to suffer because it makes her cry a lot and when she is scared she doesn’t want to tell her parents because they will fight. Their relationship is also affected by Hughie’s mother Lily who is the local prostitute.

• Not fulfilling society’s role: Millicent’s father isn’t fulfilling society’s role because he isn’t providing for his family and Millicent’s mother is left to provide for them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

17 - Denis

In this chapter, we get an insight into the inner turmoil that Denis suffers. We first see him in the foetal position, presumably from stress. Denis is owed money from builders who left after the recession and he has been looking for them ever since. His anger has led to him nearly driving over a man and crashing into a glass door because anger had been “building up a long time inside” in him. Most shocking of all is that we learn it was Denis who killed Frank when he was looking for Bobby for information on Pokey Burke’s whereabouts. This explains why we first see Denis in the foetal position; he fears the repercussions of his actions.
Denis doesn’t deal with his stress well. He is struggling financially and emotionally. We learn from Kate’s chapter that Denis was made to feel inadequate by his wife, whose montessori business was taking off at the time while he was unemployed. We also see his anger when he searches for the money owed to him, he rips wipers off a car of a builder who owed him but chose not to meet him. Denis, much like Bobby, also had a cruel father growing up. He states how he came home after a match with his face “streaked with blood and muck and tears” and how his father laughed at his face. This seems to suggest that Denis has suffered from biting criticism and difficult circumstances throughout his life, explaining his pent up rage.

As a subcontractor, Denis has been affected negatively by the recession. He rented out machinery to builders but after the economic downturn, these builders went into hiding and Denis wasn’t paid the money he was owed. As a self employed worker, Denis also owes the taxman and workers that he hired. On top of that, his wife Kate’s childminding business has been booming lately, and she makes sure he knows it at every opportunity possible.
From a societal standpoint, Denis suffers in that he has failed in the traditional role of a man, that is to earn money to provide for his family. He also suffer in that in society’s eyes, men can’t display emotion. This effects Denis in particular, as his pent-up frustration leads to him eventually killing Frank Mahon. We see him struggling with the knowledge that he “killed a man” and how he feels like “the sky is falling down.” Had Denis talked to someone about his inner turmoil, he would have gotten help to calm him down and prevent him from doing anything radical. It also appear as if Kate has been heavily critical of Denis. In her chapter, she states how Denis feels inadequate for not being able to earn money but Kate says she wishes to “slap him” and to “get on with it.” Denis is affected negatively by society, both due to the recession and from society’s expectations of being a man.

Denis has difficult relationships with family members. We learn that he kills Frank because he reminded him too much of his own father. Frank’s condescending remarks are akin to his own father’s cruel comments, such as calling him “useless,” after he came home battered and bruised  from a football match.  Denis thought he was “killing his own father,” showing how damaged and fractured Denis’ relationship with his father was.
Denis also appears to have an equally tense relationship with his wife Kate. In Kate’s own chapter, we see her berating Denis for not earning any money while they lived off her savings and her child minding business.  
Overall, Denis’ relationships with family are difficult and he is made to feel inadequate by both Kate and his father

Denis worked with Bobby under Pokey and they appeared to get along. He states how they used to “smirk over at each other,” during Pokey’s meetings and how he felt they were “on the same level,” as each other. He also talks about the authority Bobby had over Pokey, about how Pokey would “seek his approval over the smallest plan.” Denis was following Bobby while he did repairs at Réaltin’s house, trying to isolate him so that he could question him on Pokey’s whereabouts. Denis the transferred his anger at Pokey to Bobby since he was Pokey’s right hand man, despite knowing that he “shouldn’t be blaming him for the sins of another.” He believed that Bobby was keeping Pokey’s location a secret to protect his former boss. Denis followed him to Frank’s home, where he then chose to intimidate Frank and tell him how he truly felt about his son in an attempt to relieve himself of some of his pent-up frustration. This of course leads to Denis killing Frank for his harsh retorts.
Denis suffers from societal expectations. Having recently become unemployed, Denis feels inadequate as he is unable to fulfil the role of provider  for his wife. This is made worse as Kate is now earning more than him, and wastes no opportunity to remind him.
Financially, Denis also suffers. Denis claims that he was “shafted,” by Pokey Burke, amongst other builders, who benefitted the most from the financial boom and left at the first sight of trouble. He suffers most from their actions, as he himself is owed large sums of money by these builders.

Denis is a victim of societal expectations and this leads to him suppressing his emotions, which lead to him doing rash and radical actions.

 

 

 

18 - Mags

 

• This chapter is about Josie’s daughter, Mags. This chapter shows a relationship between a daughter and father that has changed in recent years due to the daughter’s sexuality. In this chapter we see Josie’s opinion of his daughter change dramatically because of her sexuality. One night, at a dinner with the important people in the community, Josie makes a show of Mags as he comments on her speech which upsets her. She gets very embarrassed and leaves, she doesn’t return home for almost a year. She realizes from this moment on, her relationship with her father is truly broke. She says at that moment she felt “a sudden longing for my childhood bed and my battered, one-eyed teddy and for Daddy to come wordlessly in and kiss me ..”
• Mags, feels like society hates her, in this old “typical” Irish community she feels unwanted and different. Although times are changing many Irish people still have a negative view towards same sex relationships, so growing up in this community was very hard for Mags. The recession doesn’t really affect mags she seems to have a positive view on life she seems more concerned about her father feeding the chickens than the recession. She seems to still be living at home so I don’t really think money is a huge priority to mags. She seems to have more interest in her partner Ger than any other current affairs.
• Mags, is quite a “butch” character. She doesn’t wear bra, she wears combat trousers and is a carefree person. Josie seems to make her out as a ‘hippy’ in his chapter so maybe she lives a carefree positive life. Mags, seems to me as a bit of a free spirit. She likes talking about humanity and other topics like it. She has quite a different view on things compared to other members of the community, she seems to look at things in a deeper manor, for example when her mother describes Realtin as a  “blow-in” Mags says how, “that phrase is used derisively. As if to say it’s failing to not have been born and bred here, to have settled in a place outside of the place of your birth”. Mags, gives us a more modern outlook on situations in the community. We really understand from her outlook where this community lies in society. Mags can show signs of irony, as she says that “it doesn’t seem natural for a young man to be a Montessori teacher”, this was surprising for Mags to say as seems to be not one to judge or use stereo-types. Mags, is a very considerate person, she always wants to sneak out and listen to her father, Josie, feed the chickens but she doesn’t in fear of embarrassing the man.
• Bobby gets a brief mention in this chapter. Mags says “and what about Bobby Mahon, killing his father? Well, he’s supposed to have, anyway”. Although she doesn’t talk about Bobby that much we still get the impression that he is a good man. Even Mags who seems to know little about Bobby still sounds shocked and seems to question whether or not he did it, again showing the good nature of Bobby.

 

 

19 - Jim

Summary
Jim is the local sergeant in this small community. He is investigating the kidnapping of Dylan and the murder of Frank Mahon. He is being bombarded by the public to do something about the two cases yet is unsure how to deal with the situation. He is suspicious of the Montessori teacher working for Kate yet isn’t convinced that Bobby killed his father. He starts to question his actions and society as a whole.
“There was a time when killing was for good, for God and country. That time is long gone, But aren’t we still the same people?”

Character
Jim is A Honest, relentless and morale man who just wishes to do what’s best for the community. His instincts lead him to believe Bobby is innocent and the Montessori teacher is the kidnapper showing his Cognitive abilities. His inability to solve either situation leaves him feeling distraught and helpless

How society affects the character
Jim is constantly put under pressure due to his role in this society. He is the voice of this community considering he works in law. Society tends to blame him when something goes wrong due to his profession. The stress put down on him seems to boggle him down.
“I haven’t slept in four days “

 

Recession
He doesn’t seem affected by the recession yet he seems to know the effect it’s had on the surrounding area. The philosophical end to his chapter seems to suggest this.

Family
The way he speaks about Realtin’s name seems to suggest he has a son or he is infertile due to the somber tone that paragraph has.

Bobby
Jim seems to think highly of Bobby as do most people in this community. He feels Bobby didn’t commit the murder and that he is not unfaithful to his wife.

The theme of suffering
Jim suffers in fewer ways than most characters but subtle hints lead us to believe he is not immune to suffering. The community seems to bombard him as to whether or not he is working on the case of Bobby and Dylan. He is overwhelmed and under pressure by the community due to his role in this society. He is mentally under strain shown in his sleep deprivation and his lack of evidence. The loss of Peter caused indirectly by Jim creates conflict with him and Bridie. He feels responsible and in turn he suffers because of this. His philosophical soliloquy shows his thoughts on violence and the suffering that it creates for people. He feels obligated to find Dylan because of the loss of Peter and shows how a character tries to diminish his own self suffering through good deeds.

 

 

 

 

20 - Frank
Brief description of character
In this chapter Frank is a ghost and he is reflecting back on his life. He looks back on how his father treated him when he was a child. His abusive childhood is the reason he treats Bobby the way he does, in his mind he thinks he is helping Bobby preparing him for the real world. Frank looks at Denis when he was killed by him and it reminded him of the way his father used to beat him as a child.

Describe the character
Frank is a cruel man. He had a horrible childhood and it changed the way he looks at the world. Nobody in the town likes Frank even his own son wants to kill him.

How is the character affected by society?
Frank is looked down on by everybody; nobody in the community likes him. People think he is a bitter old man. Everyone has a bad opinion of him after what he done to his wife and Bobby. Frank sees nothing good in the world because of this. He thinks the world is a horrible place

What can we say about their relationship/family?
Frank has a twisted relationship with his son. His own son goes to his house every day to see if he is dead yet. Frank tries to hurt everyone close to him and he knows he does it as well.

What do they say about bobby?
Frank thought he was helping bobby to be ready for the real world. He felt bobby’s mother was treating him too kindly. Frank is proud of booby but he would never admit it.
How do people suffer in ‘The Spinning Heart’?
Frank has suffered in his childhood he was beaten up by his father over little things, his father beat him once because he was proud of doing so well in a test because of this suffering  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

21 - Triona
Brief Description of the Chapter
In this chapter, Triona talks about her aunt Bernadette who mistreated her son Coley – just like Frank mistreated Bobby. She discusses the first time she met Bobby and she tells us how she was shocked by his nervousness. When we see that Frank attended Bobby's event in the "Munster" after the County Final, Triona asks the question - "why was Frank there at all?" Is Frank secretly proud of Bobby for his achievements or is he there just to gloat? Triona also speaks about her father, she wishes Frank had of died instead of her father because Frank is so cruel and her father was a lovely man. Bobby and Triona's father got on very well. We hear of the hatred Triona has for the "Teapot Taliban" or the gossipers in the town, who get great pleasure from others misfortune. Finally Triona finishes by telling us how Dylan was found safe and sound, by Jim Gildea and we are left thinking about what will happen to Bobby.

Describe the Character
Triona is Bobby's wife. I think Triona is a kind, caring and helpful character. She understands how Bobby feels because she saw the situation between her aunt Bernadette and her son Coley – who was mistreated by Bernadette. Triona just wants Bobby to talk to her and tell her how he feels. This shows the kind, caring character in Triona. Triona is also very loyal. She doesn’t believe the rumors circulating about Bobby and Realtin having an affair and she also says she will stand by Bobby even if he did murder his father. Triona knows Bobby would never cheat on her and she is not prepared to let her lover go. Triona really shows her loyality to Bobby and their marriage. Overall, I think Triona is just a nice character who doesn’t care about anyone else, only her family.

How is the character affected by society?
In general, I think Triona is not really affected by society. She ignores all the rumors circulating about Bobby cheating on her with Realtin. She doesn’t let other peoples gossip affect her relationship with her husband. She is willing to stand by Bobby, even if everyone is whispering about her behind her back for it. However, Triona is aware of all the gossip and in my opinion this has to affect her in some way, she must have some doubt in her mind about Bobby.

 

What can we say about their Relationship/Family?
We know that Triona loves Bobby, she has been through thick and thin with him and they are still together. After a murder charge, a cheating accusation and a child snatching allegation, Triona is still loyal to Bobby. She is willing to lie for Bobby in court just to be with him. "I'd swear and lie through my teeth in a heartbeat." We also know from the first chapter, Bobbys chapter, that he to is madly in love with Triona. "My lovely, lovely Triona, she fairly let herself down when she married me."  Bobby believes he is not good enough for Triona and she should have married someone else. In reality, Triona wouldn’t change Bobby for the world; she loves him with every inch of her body. I think Triona wishes Bobby would talk to her more and open up about his thoughts, instead of hiding away and trying to forget the truth.

In general, how does Triona suffer in “The Spinning Heart”?
Triona suffers from the death of her father, she wishes Bobby’s father, Frank had of died instead of her father because her father was kind and caring and Frank was cruel and full of hate. Triona talks about her aunt Bernadette who mistreated her son Coley – Just like Frank mistreated Bobby, this has a major effect on Triona and this is where much of her hatrid for Frank stems.
Triona suffers in her relationship with Bobby because she has lost communication with her husband. They no longer have the same connection they had before Frank’s murder. Triona just wants to be able to talk to Bobby again and open up to him, like before the drama with Bobby losing his job and Bobby being arrested for Frank’s murder.